With growing complexity in utility infrastructure projects and increasing demands for transparency, cost control and sustainability, utility network owners must evolve how they manage information and deliver consistent outcomes. This session will examine how standardised processes, data structures and digital information management can streamline operations, reduce duplication and improve decision-making across the asset lifecycle..

Chair welcome and introduction
Rob Horgan, Deputy Editor - Utility Week

Standardising assets to improve productivity in design and build
Richard Sutton, Head of Client Interface - United Utilities/Enterprise
Darren Hollins, Head of Design - United Utilities

Talk title coming soon
Clare Montgomery, Subject Matter Specialist - CAD - SSEN Transmission

Why the Information Management Initiative is important for utility owners and operators
Rachel Heaton, Engagement Manager, GS1 UK & Vice Chair - nima

As the utilities sector faces increasing pressure to balance competing priorities including major project delivery, aging infrastructure, climate change and regulatory shifts, utilities need rapid innovation. Traditional procurement and contracting models are struggling to keep pace. This session explores innovative strategies that challenge conventional approaches, highlighting how emerging collaborative frameworks, agile methodologies and technology can drive greater efficiency, resilience and value in infrastructure delivery and service provision.

Sponsored by: 

Chair welcome and introduction
Nirmal Kotecha, Chair - Major Projects Association

Delivering Scottish Water's SR27 programme through an enterprise model
Paul Sexton, Enterprise Managing Director - Scottish Water

Embracing new framework models for RIIO 3
Kevin Wynne, Contract Planning & Performance Director - SP Transmission

Collaborating with delivery partners for success
Ali Bevan, Head of Procurement - Infrastructure and Operational Services - Anglian Water

Future-proofing delivery: ensuring innovative models deliver their intended outcomes
Ola Haidar, Commercial and Procurement Expert - PA Consulting

Planning delays remain one of the biggest obstacles to delivering critical infrastructure at pace with half of major planning decisions challenged in court. This session explores how to streamline the approval process while ensuring greater accountability for utility clients to demonstrate meaningful local engagement. This session examines how reforms aim to remove blockers early in the process, balancing the need for speed with community input and environmental stewardship in a rapidly evolving planning landscape. 

Chair welcome and introduction
Dan Walker-Nolan, Director of Policy - Water UK

How Government is removing barriers to delivery in the water sector
Martin Woolhead, Deputy Director - Water Infrastructure Delivery - Defra

Getting the planning system right for major infrastructure projects
Ben Goodwin, Director of Policy and Public Affairs - CECA

Critical energy infrastructure and local community engagement
Rebecca Fowell, Project Manager - Regen

As utilities face delivering once in a generation projects and an unprecedented level of infrastructure delivery against finite resource in the supply chain, finding new ways of working is essential to deliver projects on time and on budget. This session uncovers best practice and lessons learnt from capital project case studies on mobilising the workforce, driving productivity and engaging with the supply chain.

Sponsored by: 

Chair welcome and introduction
Nirmal Kotecha, Chair - Major Projects Association

How Hinkley Point C has informed the delivery of Sizewell C
Tilly Spencer, Chief Technical Officer - Sizewell C

A network wide approach to driving efficiency across a capital delivery portfolio
Fraser Hood, Capital Delivery Director - SSE Distribution

Improving cross sector collaboration in pursuit of successful delivery of the Pipeline of major projects
Chris Taylor-Dawson, Senior Director – Major Projects - Ofwat

Progress over perfection at scale: how shared visibility supports major project delivery
Harry Atkinson, Co-Founder - Sensat

Water and energy networks are tasked with delivering more than ever before in their regulatory price control period. With limited resources and restricted capacity in the supply chain, the utility sector must design, build and maintain assets more efficiently. This session will uncover how the industry can work together to overcome workforce strain, improve capability planning, and unlock new efficiencies.

Chair welcome
Lucinda Dann, Features Editor - Utility Week

Infrastructure Delivery Forum: championing client collaboration to drive efficiency in infrastructure delivery
Jonathan Wilson, SI Digital Product Manager - National Grid Strategic Infrastructure

Forward planning and building capacity in the supply chain
Paul Hickey, Senior Director - RAPID

Ambition, innovation and impact: building and mobilising the workforce to deliver infrastructure at scale
Paul Cox, Group Chief Executive - Energy and Utility Skills

Capital project delivery in the utilities sector is under increasing pressure to be delivered on time and on budget while providing social value. This session explores how AI, automation, machine learning and cutting-edge digital tools are being leveraged to enhance planning, forecasting, risk management and real-time decision-making. This session will give attendees insights into how these technologies are transforming project outcomes, enabling smarter, data-driven capital investment strategies.

Sponsored by:

 

Chair welcome and introduction
Rob Horgan, Deputy Editor - Utility Week

Harnessing AI and digital tools to enable better delivery of critical infrastructure
Oliver Grist, Head of Capital PMO - Anglian Water

Transforming delivery: scaling digital tools and capability for ASTI
Laura Martin, Digital Product Line Director - National Grid

How to deliver AMP8 50% faster using AI
Jack Lomas, Business Lead - Digital, Transformation and AI - Severn Trent

Why 90% of physical work AI tools are failing to drive efficiencies in capital delivery
Kapil Singhal, Co-Founder & CEO - Vyntelligence

Under immense pressure to delivery at scale and pace while driving the net zero agenda, there is a growing need to rethink how infrastructure is designed, delivered and maintained. This session will explore how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and innovative delivery models can significantly reduce carbon emissions, drive productivity and efficiency and improve safety across the supply chain across the asset lifecycle. 

Chair welcome and introduction
Tom Grimwood, Insights Editor - Utility Week

Driving efficiency and productivity with MMC and Offsite Manufacture
Paul Drayton, Head of Digital – Europe - Laing O’Rourke

Driving design standardisation to leverage MMC and productisation of construction delivery
Michael Hannon, Head of Onshore Engineering - National Grid Strategic Infrastructure
Georgie Grant, Strategy and Integration Director for Great Grid Partnership - National Grid

Re‑thinking wetland delivery: modern methods to cut carbon, lift productivity, and de‑risk the supply chain for AMP8 and beyond
Evangelos Petropoulos, Technical Specialist - Stantec

Despite a huge injection of investment for asset renewal, replacement and new infrastructure there is still a critical need to better monitor and manage existing assets. This session will explore the innovations, technologies and tools helping asset managers gain better visibility of the network, optimise existing asset and infrastructure and sweat assets to last longer while performing for customers.

Chair welcome and introduction
Rob Horgan, Deputy Editor - Utility Week

Talk title coming soon

Repurposing the gas grid to maximise asset capability
Katie Petherbridge, Delivery Innovation Manager - National Gas

MOTs for Infrastructure: Unpacking the Water White Paper
Matt Humphrey, Head of Asset Management - Anglian Water

To align water supply forecasts with predicted demand, the UK needs to act now to guarantee clean drinking water for future generations. The last reservoir build in the UK was completed in 1992, how are clients and the supply chain embracing new technologies, leaning on historical knowledge and winning over local communities to deliver reservoirs? Join this session to learn from case studies at different delivery stages to support upskilling and knowledge transfer across the industry.

Chair welcome and introduction
Ella Jessel - Utility Week

Havant Thicket Reservoir: constructing an 8.7 billion litre freshwater storage reservoir
Ruari Maybank, Programme Director - Havant Thicket Reservoir - Portsmouth Water

White Horse Reservoir: the importance of pre-application
Leonie Dubois, Head of Engagement Land and Consents - Thames Water

Broad Oak Water: bridging the gap with 21st-century clarity
Michael Hanlon - South East Water